anyone else dissatisfied with mothering magazine?

[hazeldust]

i was really surprised and annoyed when i read the letters in the new magazine. the ones where readers complained about the shopping cart filled with brand name processed foods(sorry i cant for the life of me recall the name of the diet in this article-begins with an f) there wasnt even a correction, so does this mean this wasnt an error? and i just feel like the articles are always very similar. i dont know i just do not enjoy it that much any more. there seems to be alot less poetry. less personal accounts of parenting. it just seems to have lost its personal touch, its grass roots feel. is this just me or does anyone else feel this way?

[kama'aina mama]

I haven't seen the latest issue and won't for a while so you will have to say more about the letter and the previous article, etc... for me to have any thoughts at all on that. I am not dissatisfied with the magazine, however. Some issues are literally a cover to cover read for me while others have less that is of current interest. That's normal. I appreciate that Mothering has articles, many of them, that are not just about babies and very small children. I save them because I know someday I will have a 4th grader, a teenager, etc... I'm only dissatisfied it takes so long to get to me!

[pamamidwife]

I would like to see more articles written - to counter all the pages of ads.

Still, I know it's expensive to put out a magazine. But, the advertising has gotten a little crazy. Compared to many other magazines, though, I guess it's normal.

[somemama]

I would like to see articles about WOHM AP mamas! You know, to actually show that we exist! Articles about pumping, etc.

[sunmountain]

I have mags from the 70s and 80s, as well as my own on and off subscriptions over the past 9 years. I didn't subscribe this year b/c I feel I have as much info as I'm going to need.
I like the older ones better anyway.

[mahdokht]

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[mamaduck]

I have to say, this thread is bothering me. Maybe its just the title of the thread, actually.

I mean, gosh -- Mothering Magazine is sponsering these boards, and they are free to us... it seems a little wrong to talk about being "dissatisfied" with the magazine. Kind of like critisizing the decor of a home while attending a party hosted there.

I just wish the title could be stated more positively. Like, "what would you like to see in Mothering?" Am I the only one?

[1jooj]

The diet referred to, I think, is the Feingold diet.

As far as the representation of all the processed, brand-name foods, I have to say that was my own immediate reaction when I read the article originally. In fact, I talked it over with my sister, who has a child with ASD (Aspergers), and we agreed that for us, it was kind of alienating.

However...a local health food store here does all kinds of shortie seminar-type presentations for customers, many of which focus on diet and AS disorders. And my sister went to at least one of them, and said most of these moms are in fact asking about such foods as chicken nuggets and hot dogs, and what their choices are as far as cold cuts and the like goes. She was taken aback at how many moms rely heavily on these foods. But, fact is, a lot of moms do, and I think the examples in the article were in part an attempt to make the diet seem more accessible and less of a huge elimination type of thing.

Just another take on things...

[puppytails]

I was a little dissappointed until my latest issue arrived! Sometimes I feel depressed about the glossy ads of gorgeous stuff I can't afford--but this issue actually had 2 articles about people making drastic sacrifices in order to stay at home (which is my life). And yes mamaduck--it does sound bad that we are "biting the hand that feeds us"

[Lucky Charm]

just wish the title could be stated more positively. Like, "what would you like to see in Mothering?" Am I the only one?

No, your not the only one. I'm with you Mamaduck!

[kama'aina mama]

Something that has been said in previous threads about the magazine that some people probably don't know is that Mothering does not have a writing staff, per se. They buy articles. So when you say "I wish they would publish an article about X, their response is basically, 'sounds great... find us a good one to look at!' If there is something you want to see write it! Submit it! Find someone knowledgable and beg them to write something. If you love first hand accounts, personal articles... write one!

[daylily]

I've been reading Mothering since 1993 and have read back issues from the early '80s. Yes, it has gotten sleeker and more mainstream, but in a way, I support that. If Mothering becomes more attractive to a wider audience then it's all good. There are still Peggy O's great editorials, and Mothering is the only parenting magazine out there that acknowleges that our children are still our children even after they go to kindergarten.

I didn't see the picture of all the name brands, or the letters to the editor that the OP mentioned, but the fact that those letters were even printed says a lot. I have written many an angry letter to mainstream parenting mags that were never printed, and often there is never an angry letter printed about articles in these mags.

[The Lucky One]

I have to say, this thread is bothering me. Maybe its just the title of the thread, actually.

Ditto. No, mamaduck, you aren't the only one.

lisa

[*Erin*]

Re: anyone else dissatisfied with mothering magazine?

Originally posted by ophelia_tigerlily
i was really surprised and annoyed when i read the letters in the new magazine. the ones where readers complained about the shopping cart filled with brand name processed foods(sorry i cant for the life of me recall the name of the diet in this article-begins with an f) there wasnt even a correction, so does this mean this wasnt an error? and i just feel like the articles are always very similar. i dont know i just do not enjoy it that much any more. there seems to be alot less poetry. less personal accounts of parenting. it just seems to have lost its personal touch, its grass roots feel. is this just me or does anyone else feel this way?

thats reassuring to me that this bothered someone else. it really bothered me that the mamas who wrote these letters seem to completely miss the fact that some of us cannot possibly afford to feed our families all organic all the time. rather privaleged viewpoint there on their parts. we all do the best we can do. is it neccessary to guilt each other over a bag of freaking fritos??

also, the feingold diet isfar out enough for many mainstream families who wouldnt eat organic kamut and quinoa and some of the other things these ladies mentioned. i looked at that kinda like i look at Dr sears baby book: its written for the mainstream but manages to get in alot of good, healthy, natural stuff along with the mainstream-ness.

and i still love mothering, but it seems like its shrinking. like its getting taken over with ads. it only took me about 20 mins to read the new one from cover to cover. i would like to see more articles as well. i love that there have been articles pertainent to womyn of color. i like the news section. and the living treasure on the last page. im kind of sick of white womyn's songs and odes of joy to breastfeeding though. they all seem the same. that sounds harsh. i dont mean to sound like i dont love to breastfeed too, i do. i am filled up looking at dd nurse, and i cant imagine anything more beautiful, but there are the times when she pinches and slaps and hits me while she nurses and id like to read about that too.

i will look around for authors i enjoy, and make some suggestions. i love the magazine, and would like to see it continue on going strong for many many years.

[*Erin*]

Originally posted by kama'aina mama
Something that has been said in previous threads about the magazine that some people probably don't know is that Mothering does not have a writing staff, per se. They buy articles. So when you say "I wish they would publish an article about X, their response is basically, 'sounds great... find us a good one to look at!' If there is something you want to see write it! Submit it! Find someone knowledgable and beg them to write something. If you love first hand accounts, personal articles... write one!

ita with this too. i think its wonderful if mothering goes a little mainstream. get these ideas about bf and ext. bf, attachment parenting, natural pregnancy and birth, ect out there and reach a wider audience. absolutely wonderful. just add some more pages with articles...

:

[mamabutterfly]

One comment about the "old" topics covered... For those of us around MDC all the time (okay, that's me, lol, I lurk daily ), some issues are kind of old hat, but I am always glad when core AP or natural parenting issues are covered in a solid way in a new issue. Because I'm constantly sharing the mag with new mamas or new-to-AP mamas, and I'm glad when basic concepts are covered.

A recent example is "Attachment and the Roots of Parenting" I think it was called... sadly just the idea of parents being securely attached to their children is *not* obvious in our culture, and I like whenever this core philosophy is well stated.

Oh, and I once worked for a struggling small magazine (as bookkeeper actually) and yes it's expensive & hard to make ends meet! I understand the need for lottsa ads completely, and actually feel like all the ads that are consistent with natural parenting's lifestyle may help give ideas to new mamas about stuff they won't find at Baby Depot. [Even though you don't have to buy a lot of stuff to have a baby of course, since people do I'd rather they know about White Lotus or a WAHM diaper biz or whoever...]

having said all that... i also go thru most issues in a night, lol.

[ladylee]

It's a legitimate question. I love that it's a departure from what else is available. I appreciate the hard work that must go into it.
Some issues are better than others. There is an awful lot of advertising, but that's what must be done. I feel the price is a little too high.

[ladylee]

It's a legitimate question. I love that it's a departure from what else is available. I appreciate the hard work that must go into it.
Some issues are better than others. It's good to see Mothering quoted in more mainstream mags, which I see more and more of. There is an awful lot of advertising, but that's what must be done. I feel the price is a little too high.

[ebethmom]

I'm just so grateful that Mothering magazine exists! It helps me feel far less alone in our very mainstream community. I'm not always interested in all of the articles, but I could say the same about the other magazines/journals that I read.

[*LoveBugMama*]

Mothering is my absolute favorite magazine!

I read each issue from cover to cover several times. And I even like the ads!

Being a Norwegian in Norway, reading those ads is really fun. We don`t have half of all the cool stuff Mothering advertises for and I love looking at all the "not so mainstram toys/clothes/diapers/food" !

And I am with Mamaduck about the title of this thread..

Ooh, and about the price: Mothering is the cheapest magazine I buy, actually! Even when you count the 10£ I pay for gwetting it sendt to Norway, its a lot cheaper than all the Norwegian magazines...